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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26823445">Gems</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Do_Droca/pseuds/Do_Droca'>Do_Droca</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Wonderful Joys of Parenthood [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Humor, Best Friends, Crushes, Developing Relationship, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Feelings, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Jaemin wants Jeno to be his boyfriend, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan &amp; Na Jaemin Are Best Friends, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan is a Little Shit, Teen Angst, Teen Crush, Teen Romance, Teenagers, as per usual, but oh well, this is a mess, this is all about nomin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:33:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26823445</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Do_Droca/pseuds/Do_Droca</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaemin turns his head to the side just so he can look at Donghyuck, though all he really wants is to shove his face into the pillow and scream. "You don't <em>understand</em>, Hyuck," he tells him, downright miserable.<br/>"Hell yeah I don't," the other replies. "Who the fuck would wanna date Jeno? He's the embodiment of cardboard."<br/>"<em>I would.</em>"</p><p>Or: Life of Nomin, the densest couple (of besties)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Kim Jungwoo/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Wonderful Joys of Parenthood [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1749424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>281</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Gems</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don't know who's a bigger fool, me or the people I told like a month ago there's gonna be an update soon. lol. I'm so sorry, sweeties.<br/>Also:<br/>1) if you're already familiar with this series, I must warn you this part is a bit of a hybrid, meaning it is not the usual cracky humor like crap I usually do.... I was experimenting a bit, and thought to myself, well, why not post it?<br/>2) if you're new, hi, hello, you don't need to read the previous parts of the series to understand what's going on! No one knows! I don't know either!</p><p>So, without further ado, here I present you shitshow part 5???? (is it 5?)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Divine</strong>
</p><p>Kim Jeno must be the most beautiful creature Jaemin's measly self has ever seen, and Jaemin has seen many beautiful things in his life, alright. Granted, he is only 15, but he is confident there is not a single thing on this earth that could rival Kim Jeno's beauty, not even his brand new Secretlab Omega gaming chair he begged his father to get him for three months, or uncle Ten's Aston Martin, no.</p><p>Kim Jeno is truly something else.</p><p>He has the kind of beauty that deserves having poems written about and wars fought over. Jaemin is neither a poet nor a warrior, but he must have been one or the other in his past life for sure because having Kim Jeno in his bed is a privilege he does not deserve, but still has—and it is such a common thing Jaemin has started to take it for granted, and therefore has to remind himself to treasure it.</p><p>The night is still young. Jaemin has his window open, and he can hear laughter in the distance, most likely coming from a group of students that are on their way to do things their parents told them not to. There are cicadas under his window too, hidden in the shrubs, and they are screaming in disharmony. Jaemin hates cicadas, but this time around, he does not mind them. The cicadas are the last thing on his mind—he has Jeno's soft breaths and moonlit face to focus on instead.</p><p>The digital clock on his nightstand strikes midnight. Jaemin can't sleep. Jaemin <em>won't</em> sleep, for this is the only time he can openly ogle at his best friend without making it too weird for both of them.</p><p>Jeno's face is pushed halfway into Jaemin's pillow, and his mouth hangs slightly open, pearly white teeth peeking through the gap. The area around his mouth is wet—Jeno drools when he sleeps, always has and always will—but it does not ruin Jaemin's impression of him even the slightest, and he dreamily sighs as he lets his eyes wander over the figure of the sleeping boy.</p><p>His hair is all over the place, the thick black strands standing out despite the dark due to the light color of Jaemin's bed set and the beam of moonlight that is coming through the window. Jeno has such <em>beautiful</em> hair Jaemin is sad he lets his father cut if for him—Dongyoung's trademark bowl cut does <em>not</em> do him justice at all—but maybe that is for the best. Jeno is already popular, and well known for his good looks, and he would, without a doubt, be even more popular if he had a proper haircut.</p><p>Jaemin already has enough rivals as it is, he does not need more.</p><p>The sole thought of someone trying to take Jeno away from him makes him pull the other boy closer, and Jeno's leg instinctively moves up from where it was resting over Jaemin's legs to hook around Jaemin's hip, caging him there.</p><p>Not that Jaemin would dare to move, anyway. Sleepovers are sacred, and having Jeno in his arms is an opportunity that comes only once a week. Jaemin would be a fool to let him go and risk getting untangled.</p><p>Jeno's hold on Jaemin tightens, his fists bunching up the fabric of Jaemin's ratty old sweatshirt as he scoots even closer, and Jaemin's heart doubles in size from the sheer proximity of their bodies. Fondness blooms in his chest as Jeno starts to mumble words under his breath, making absolutely no sense, stringing words one after another without a context, skipping over several languages as he goes. He catches a couple of Spanish words he knows for a fact fall under the vocabulary they need for their next exam, and some Korean here and there as well. Jeno has always been the smarter one of the two, taking his studies seriously. He might not be as smart as Renjun or Donghyuck, but he tries hard, and the hard work always pays off.</p><p>In his little speech, Jeno mentions many things. He mentions some of their friends from school, the cats from across the street, the maths homework Jaemin forgot to do. His favorite thing, though, seems to be the ice cream shop. His every other word is related to ice cream, and Jaemin has to suppress his laugh in order not to wake him.</p><p>Maybe it is a sign of some sort. Maybe Jeno is subconsciously giving him a hint. Jaemin should definitely take him to the ice cream shop next week. Jaemin should definitely ask him to be his boyfriend next week, too. It is ridiculous how long he has been putting it off, asking Jeno what they are.</p><p>They are best friends, but at the same time, they are not. Something else is there as well, and both of them acknowledge it, but at the same time, they do not.</p><p>That is how things are with them; they are, but they are not, and it is driving Jaemin insane.</p><p>At school, Jeno lets him hold his hand, but when someone asks him whether or not he is in a relationship, he always says he is not. During family gatherings (that he frequently drags Jaemin to along with him) when noisy aunties ask him whether or not there is someone special in his life, he says there is not, though there is a full-bodied Jaemin attached to his hip.</p><p>Jeno is his, but he is not, and that is a <em>universally acknowledged</em> <em>problem, </em>as their friend Donghyuck loves to claim. Yet, no one is doing anything about it.</p><p>So Jaemin stares at his face at night, wondering how his lips feel, how they would feel against his. Their faces are only inches apart—if he wanted, Jaemin could easily close the distance between them and kiss him. It is tempting, the rosiness of Jeno's lips, the slight sheen to them due to the fact Jeno drools in his sleep.</p><p>It is always tempting.</p><p>Every damn time Jeno sleeps over at Jaemin's, or Jaemin sleeps over at Jeno's, Jaemin almost ends up kissing him. Maybe he should do it. Just a little brush of lips to encourage him to ask him properly out. No one will ever know except him. He will not tell a soul, not even Donghyuck. All Jaemin needs is a peck, so he could never forget the way Jeno's lips feel, so he could know there is no one else there for him except Jeno, so he could quit stalling.</p><p>He leans in slowly, careful not to wake the other up. Jeno is back to sleeping soundly, his soft breaths hitting Jaemin's lips, giving him goosebumps. Oh, what a beautiful thing Kim Jeno is. Jaemin does not deserve him, but he will make him his.</p><p>He closes his eyes. He listens to the sound of their breaths, feels the sudden change of the beating of his heart. Just a small brush of lips, a little peck at the corner of his mouth. That is all Jaemin wants.</p><p> </p><p>And then Jisung chokes on his own saliva, making a disgustingly loud noise from above them, and Jaemin jumps away from Jeno as if he got burnt. Jeno hears Jisung too, groaning as he wakes up from his dream. He opens only one eye, squints at Jaemin to see if he is awake, and then weakly tugs at his shirt.</p><p>"<em>Jaem</em>," he slurs, still half-asleep. "<em>Make 'm stop</em>."</p><p>Jisung must have turned onto his back during his sleep, and now he is snoring, the noise so loud Jaemin can barely hear the cicadas under his window. He curses under his breath and kicks the leg of the bed frame with such vigor the whole bunk bed shakes from it, vibrating as if there is an earthquake. Jisung stops snoring almost immediately, and the rustling of the sheets is a clear giveaway he is turning back to the side. Once it is quiet again, Jeno pulls him closer, shoving his face under Jaemin's chin.</p><p>"<em>Thank you</em>," he mumbles so softly Jaemin almost misses it, and then leaves a kiss on his neck before falling back asleep, as if it is not a big deal.</p><p>And Jaemin, well, he falls asleep when the sky turns bronze as the sun rises.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>The Morning After</strong>
</p><p>Jeno is long gone when Jaemin wakes up, and due to the lack of another body, the bed is spacious enough again for him to lie tummy flat on it, spread out like a starfish. He kicks the bed frame out of curiosity, and when no noise comes from above, Jaemin is sure even his brother no longer in bed, meaning it is well past morning at this point.</p><p>With great effort, he shuffles closer to the edge of his bed and then feels around the floor for his phone he remembers hearing falling off the nightstand during the night. When he finds it, he squints at the screen with a scowl, checking the time. His assumption turns out to be true. It is almost noon—which he could have easily guessed if he looked out through his window, considering the fact the sun is high in the sky—and unsurprisingly, there are some messages from Jeno, meaning he has been awake for a while now.</p><p><em>i'm downstairs</em>, the first one says, and it is from almost 3 hours ago; Jaemin wonders why the other did not wake him up, but knowing Jeno, he did not mind spending time with Jaemin's family on his own if it means Jaemin will get a couple more hours of sleep. He has done it a couple of times already, waking up before Jaemin and letting him sleep in, hanging out with Jisung and Jaemin's parents instead. He is considered one of them at his point. He has been considered as one of them for longer than Jaemin, actually. Taeyong and Jaehyun adopted Jaemin and Jisung 7 years ago. Jeno has been alive for 15, and they have known him since the day he was born. The math is simple, really.</p><p>Jaemin goes back to reading the texts. The next one was sent not too long after the first one, and it is just as plain and factual as the first one: <em>your dad's awake</em>. Of course he is. Jaemin's dad never sleeps in, even if it is the weekend. That is nothing new.</p><p>However, the next few prove to be more interesting—Jeno says the fridge is leaking again, and that Taeyong is having a breakdown over it, but Jaemin is not surprised, not even the slightest; the fridge has been causing trouble for months now. It is the message after that that makes him snort. It is, again, a plain and simple <em>jisung fell</em>, but there is a picture of a crying Jisung attached, and Jaemin giggles not because Jisung is crying, but because his entire ass is wet and he looks like he peed himself.</p><p><em>lol</em>, he sends, and Jeno replies within seconds, almost as if he was waiting for Jaemin to wake up.</p><p>
  <em>wow ur finally awake. i'll be upstairs in 5</em>
</p><p>When Jeno walks into Jaemin's room minutes later, there are two bananas in his hands and a soft smile on his face. Jaemin is still spread across the bed, and he lazily returns the smile before groaning and shoving his face into the pillow.</p><p>"I'm so fucking tired," he mumbles into the pillow, moaning. His head aches.</p><p>"We went to bed around 11 though?" Jeno says, confused. He sets the bananas aside and shoves Jaemin closer to the wall to make space on the bed for himself before plopping down so he could lie together with him. "Did Jisung keep you up all night? He only woke me up once I think."</p><p>"No, it's not that," the other boy shakes his head.</p><p>Jeno purses his lips. "What then? Did I talk in my sleep again? I told you you can kick me if I get too loud."</p><p>"And I told you it doesn't bother me, Jen," Jaemin huffs. He continues to lie there for a while, listening to Jeno's soft breathing, and then a sly idea comes to his mind. "You can cuddle me, though. To make me feel better."</p><p>Jeno narrows his eyes, suspicious of the slight smirk Jaemin is sporting. "You're tired, not sick. And it's hot. I'm not cuddling you."</p><p>Jaemin pokes Jeno's chest. "Says the guy who was wrapped around me like a boa constrictor during the whole night."</p><p>Jeno pokes him back, "You're as bad as I am! I barely managed to get out of bed this morning because you kept tugging at my shirt. I could've peed my pants," he hisses.</p><p>"<em>Jen</em>," Jaemin whines like a child, tired and needy, "<em>cuddle</em>."</p><p>"I don't want to cuddle," the other boy protests, slapping away Jaemin's grabby hands. A light blush spreads across his cheeks, but he does not move.</p><p>One of the main reasons why Jaemin treasures their weekly sleepovers is the fact Jeno allows excessive skinship only when he is tired and content. The rest of the time, he moderately tolerates Jaemin's antics, letting him hold his hand and such, but Jaemin is an affectionate person, and he wants, <em>needs</em> Jeno as close as possible. Holding hands is <em>not</em> enough, so Jaemin pouts and looks at the other boy with the biggest puppy eyes he can muster, hoping it would break his resolve.</p><p>And it does. Jeno rolls his eyes and tugs Jaemin closer to him, albeit rather aggressively, "Why do you always have to do that?"</p><p>Jaemin smiles and throws his leg over Jeno's hip, caging him the way the other caged him during the night. "Because I need to recharge. It's the end of the week, I'm running low on your love."</p><p>Jeno is quiet for a second or two before an inhuman growl rumbles out of him. "Oh my god, I think I just felt something in me die."</p><p>"Stop being dramatic and pet me. I feel bad, I need attention."</p><p>"You always need attention."</p><p>Nevertheless, Jeno's hand finds its place in Jaemin's hair, gently threading his fingers through the short strands. The younger's hair used to be much longer before, but Jeno has to admit he enjoys both the long and the short hair on Jaemin. Even the buzzcut was not as bad as people claimed it to be. A bit weird, sure, but not bad.</p><p>The window is still open, letting in the warm breeze and the smell of freshly cut grass and summer. Jaemin hums some random song under his breath with his eyes closed, enjoying the way Jeno's scent mixes with the smell of the breeze. The other boy must have used his shower gel in the morning, Jaemin notices, but his clothes still have the typical Jeno scent clinging to them, and combined with the fresh breeze, the scents create a perfect mix to lull Jaemin to sleep.</p><p>"Your dad said lunch is in an hour, so if you want, you can take a nap," Jeno whispers, not wanting to disturb the calm atmosphere. "I'll just play KartRider on my phone or something, and wake you up when it's done."</p><p>"Thanks," Jaemin responds equally as softly, snuggling closer to the other boy.</p><p>Jeno is his, but he is not, and that is how things are as of now, but Jaemin would be a fool if he did not try to change that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>To Plan</strong>
</p><p>"—so I was thinking about taking him to that ice cream shop across—<em>Donghyuck</em>. Are you even listening to me?"</p><p>Donghyuck hums, and it is obvious he is not really listening, too busy gluing pieces of plexiglass together into something that resembles a cuboid to listen to Jaemin and his plan. Then again, who could blame him? Jaemin has been trying to date Jeno for almost a year now, and at this point, everyone is sick and tired of them and their beating around the bush.</p><p>"Of course," the other boy replies and then proceeds to glue his fingers to the plexiglass.</p><p>"You weren't listening."</p><p>"I <em>was. </em>You were talking about Jeno."</p><p>Jaemin narrows his eyes at him. "I always talk about Jeno. Be specific."</p><p>"Exactly," Donghyuck confirms, "so, in theory, I <em>was</em> listening, because I already heard all that I need to know at least a million times before."</p><p>"Donghyuck!"</p><p>"What?" He groans and turns around to look at Jaemin, clearly pissed off, "What is it?"</p><p>They make eye contact, and the tension is high in the air for a moment, but Jaemin breaks the spell by whining and shoving his head into Donghyuck's pillows. He mumbles something into them, and Donghyuck rolls his eyes at his dramatic behavior, already sensing an upcoming breakdown.</p><p>"C'mon," he slaps the boy's legs with his free hand, the one that is not glued to the DIY terrarium he is making. "Stop whining."</p><p>Jaemin turns his head to the side just so he can look at Donghyuck. "You don't <em>understand</em>, Hyuck."</p><p>"Hell yeah I don't," the other replies. "Who the fuck would wanna date Jeno? He's the embodiment of cardboard."</p><p>"<em>I would</em>," Jaemin says, clearly offended. "Also? I told you that's fucking rude. Stop saying that. He's your friend."</p><p>"He's <em>our</em> friend," Donghyuck reminds Jaemin, ignoring the daggers the other is sending his way. "And that's all he's gonna be for the rest of your life if you keep up with this crap. Just—fucking ask him already. Or like, shove your tongue down his mouth to make a point. I'm sure he'd understand."</p><p>Jaemin does not reply for a good couple of seconds. "What if he doesn't actually like me?"</p><p>"Are you fucking kidding me—"</p><p>"What if I took his friendliness as something else? We've known each other for 8 years. He's my best friend. Maybe I'm imagining things."</p><p>"Jaemin, you two have been dating for at least a year now, or something. Believe me," Donghyuck says, "I know it, your parents know it, his parents know it, everyone knows it <em>except</em> him. Actually, maybe he knows, but is just as dumb as you? I don’t know. But either way, I don’t think what you guys have is completely platonic."</p><p>"Are you sure?"</p><p>"Jaemin, he chose <em>you</em> over <em>me</em> when someone asked him who he'd rather kiss during that truth or dare thing in middle school," Donghyuck drones. "Clearly he would've chosen me if he wasn't so damn whipped. I'm hotter than you."</p><p>"Fuck you."</p><p>"Well, we both know who you'd rather fu—"</p><p>"<em>Enough</em>," Jaemin interrupts him, pushing himself into a sitting position. "Let's go back to the important stuff. I was thinking I should take him out on Tuesday. After school. Y'know, to that ice cream shop across the street."</p><p>Donghyuck immediately goes back to ignoring him.</p><p>"Hyuck!"</p><p>"Jaemin, I'm tired of planning dates I'm not even a part of," the other boy says.</p><p>"You don't have to help me plan it! I just need your opinion."</p><p>"My opinion is, and forever will be the same; you could take him to a funeral, and he'd be happy. Stop overthinking shit. All you have to do is ask."</p><p>"But I want it to be perfect."</p><p>"<em>All you have to do is fucking ask,</em>" Donghyuck grits out. "I'm telling you, you have nothing to worry about. Look, dude, he told me you looked cute after I shaved your hair off. <em>Cute</em>. For fuck's sake, you looked an egg."</p><p>"He said that?"</p><p>The other boy sighs. "Yeah, he did."</p><p>"<em>That's so sweet</em>."</p><p>Donghyuck pinches his nose, reminding himself over and over again Jaemin is his best friend. "Yeah, sure," he ends up muttering. "Can't wait for you two to get together, I honestly can't stand you anymore. Actually, scratch that—God knows how terrible you'll be once you guys start dating. I'll just stop hanging out with you two. Friendship revoked. Renjun's my new best friend."</p><p>Jaemin kicks him. "You wish! You could never replace me. Renjun doesn't even answer your texts, Hyuck."</p><p>"But he might. Different circumstances, Jaemin. If he gets promoted to being my best friend, maybe he will."</p><p>Jaemin stares at him without saying anything. Then his gaze shifts to the mess on the floor. "You know you got glue all over your carpet, right?"</p><p>"Fuck," Donghyuck hisses, grabbing the leaking E6000 and throwing it onto the piece of cardboard next to him. "Look what you made me do. Stop distracting me, you lovesick fool. I have a terrarium to make."</p><p>"If you help me plan my date I'll help you finish your terrarium," Jaemin offers. Donghyuck does not even spare him a glance.</p><p>Jaemin purses his lips and tries again. "I'll help you finish the terrarium <em>and</em> steal the bugs from the school terrarium, or whatever it is that you want?"</p><p>Donghyuck turns to look at him as soon as those words leave his lips. "Now we're talking, Jung. Get your ass here. First we finish the terrarium, then we plan your damn date."</p><p>  </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Mondays I</strong>
</p><p>It is here. Monday morning. Absolute nightmare. Jaemin keeps self-consciously sniffing his clothes as he drags himself to school, afraid that amidst the cloud of Axe that is surrounding him, there is the tattletale stench of sweat lingering, a clear sign he did not take a shower before leaving his house. Unlike Jaemin, Jisung seems to be in a good mood, whistling some random tune as they approach the school entrance, annoying the hell out of his brother.</p><p>He shuts up as soon as Jaemin smacks him.</p><p>"Uh," Jeno hastily puts away his phone when they walk past him without stopping, or to be more precise, when Jaemin walks by without hugging him. Confused by the lack of the mandatory morning hug, he speed-walks to catch up with them. "Good morning? What's happening?"</p><p>"Mondays," Jisung says rather cheerfully as if it explains anything.</p><p>And to an extent, it does. Jeno knows Mondays are an <em>experience</em> in the Jung household since he heard all about the unfortunate events that happened in the past. Jaemin told him it was a curse—Jeno does not believe him, of course—but he must admit it is interesting, the way Mondays repeatedly end up being the worst day of their week.</p><p>Taking a wild guess, he asks, "Is it the fridge?"</p><p>"Eh," Jisung scrunches his nose. "Kinda. Not really." He pulls a candy bar out of his back pocket and bites half of it off in one bite, showing the rest back into his pocket. Jeno knows he is saving the other half for that Chenle kid from his class.</p><p>"Appa turned off the water heater again," Jaemin grunts, and Jeno lets out a quiet <em>oooh</em>, sharing a knowing look with Jisung. "But yeah, the fridge is leaking again, too."</p><p>"I should've known it was the heater," Jeno says, disappointed in himself. "You reek of Axe."</p><p>Every now and then, Jaemin shows up to school drowned in Axe, and Jeno has known him long enough to know it is because he did not take a shower. It is funny, the way Jaemin seems to be embarrassed by it as if he does not know how disgusting other people their age are—which he should, considering he is friends with Donghyuck. Donghyuck is questionable, to say the least.</p><p>Jaemin kicks him. "Shut up."</p><p>"Okay," Jisung slows down once they reach the corridor which connects the main building to the junior one, "I'm going."</p><p>Jaemin does not even say goodbye to his brother, but Jeno offers him a smile and a little wave the younger enthusiastically reciprocates, and then he is gone. Jaemin continues to march through the school with a frown on his face, and Jeno follows him, muttering apologies to the kids Jaemin bumps into but does not spare a glance, much less apologize. It feels like Monday, indeed.</p><p>"Can you slow down, please?" Jeno hisses, arm reaching out to grab the back of Jaemin's shirt, muscles straining against the shirt as he pulls the other back to him. It successfully stops Jaemin from moving, and Jeno internally thanks Bin for forcing him to join the basketball team with him, because otherwise there is no way he would have enough strength to stop the other.</p><p>He gives the boy a disappointed look. "Is this how it's gonna be today?"</p><p>"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jaemin says, playing dumb. Jeno raises his eyebrow.</p><p>"Oh, you don't? Then I guess it's me that's in a bad mood, so I better go and avoid you. Goodbye," Jeno says and turns around, acting as if he is going to leave. He knows Jaemin needs a little something to pull him out of it, and him leaving is the best way to do it, especially now that all Jaemin actually wants is attention.</p><p>"<em>Nooo</em>," Jaemin whines, as expected. This time, it is he who is grabbing Jeno's shirt to stop him, and he promptly latches himself onto the other boy's back, giving him an awkward back hug. "I'm sorry. I'll try not to be a bitch."</p><p>"Oh, you'll try?" Jeno continues to tease, though Jaemin does not notice he is playing with him.</p><p>"<em>Jen</em>," he whines into his back.</p><p>"Okay, okay, come on," Jeno laughs, trying to peel Jaemin off. He can feel him pout against his back. "We'll be late for class. Come on, Jaemin."</p><p>"I need attention and affection, not class," Jaemin replies, and Jeno has to bite his lip to not comment on how that is nothing new.</p><p>"How about this—we can stay a bit after school. Go to that ice cream shop across the street. My treat."</p><p>Jaemin freezes. "Today?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>He lets go of Jeno, taking a step back. "I can't!"</p><p>The rejection catches Jeno off guard. He turns around to look at him, confused. "You can't?"</p><p>"I—," <em>planned us a date tomorrow there, so we can't go</em>. "I have to help dad with something in the afternoon."</p><p>"You have to help your dad with something in the afternoon?" Jeno repeats, somewhat suspicious.</p><p>"Yeah, we have to, uh, repaint their bedroom. Yes, paint. Bedroom."</p><p>"Didn't they renovate their bedroom a month ago?" Jeno asks, vividly remembering Jaemin's father fighting with his father over different kinds of hardwood floors.</p><p>"They did. Dad hates the pink," Jaemin says, and that is one huge ass lie. His father adores pink. He even matched the color of the bedsheets to the color of the wall. Jeno does not know that, though.</p><p> "Do you need an extra pair of hands? I can help."</p><p>"No, no. Don't worry. It's fine."</p><p>"Uh. Then another time?"</p><p>"Tomorrow!" Jaemin yells, catching the attention of a couple of other students that are lingering in the hallway. He blushes and lowers his voice, reaching out for Jeno's hand. "I can't today, but let's go tomorrow. <em>My</em> treat. As an apology for being a bitch."</p><p>Jeno narrows his eyes but lets Jaemin grab his hand and pull him towards the classroom. "If I say yes, you're going to take that as permission to be a bitch for the whole day, right?" It is <em>Monday</em>, after all.</p><p>"Maybe."</p><p>"I don't like the sound of that."</p><p>"But you like me, so you'll manage."</p><p>Jeno is quiet for a moment and Jaemin halts in his steps, turning to look at the other boy. These awkward moments have been happening quite often lately, for Jeno has been awfully sensitive to Jaemin's teasing, and Jaemin, he can not even decipher whether it is a good <em>speechless</em> or a bad kind of <em>speechless, </em>so he keeps doing it. He stands there, waiting for Jeno to snap out of it.</p><p>"I guess so," the other says in the end, offering a blinding smile to the other boy.</p><p>It's Jaemin's turn to be speechless.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  </p><p>
  <strong>Mondays II</strong>
</p><p>Nothing major happens at school, but one can never be sure. Mondays are not to be messed with, so Jaemin decides the best thing he can do is stay low for the rest of the day. He plants himself onto the couch as soon as he comes home and roots himself there like some nasty parasite, refusing to move a single inch. As per usual, his dad is going on about the fridge, but Jaemin is too busy texting Donghyuck about Jeno and texting Jeno about Donghyuck to entertain his ridiculous new idea.</p><p>"Dad, you're nuts."</p><p>Jaemin does not even look up from his phone when he says it, watching some cat video Jeno sent him at 1.5x speed so he could give him proper feedback as soon as possible. Jaemin is more of a dog guy himself, but he has to admit Jeno's obsession with cats is cute.</p><p>"Don't you two love to break things, though? I'm even giving you permission to do so." His dad continues to press.</p><p>"We don't break things on <em>purpose</em>," Jaemin explains with an eye roll. "How am I supposed to break a fridge?"</p><p>"I don't know, but I'm sure you'll find a way."</p><p>"Can't you just buy the new fridge yourself?"</p><p>He does not know what is stopping him. Their fridge has been leaking for quite some time now, but all his dad does is complain about his appa instead of taking matters into his own hands. Jaemin would have bought a new fridge a long time ago if he were in his place.</p><p>Hid dad scowls, clearly offended. Jaemin eyes are glued to his phone so he can't see him, but he can hear it in his voice. "Jaem, I told your Appa we need a new fridge in April, and he <em>promised</em> he'll buy a new one. It's a matter of the principle of the thing; if he promised, then it's his job. I'm not buying the damn fridge."</p><p>Jaemin finally tears his gaze away from the phone screen and looks at his father, but only for a brief moment. Then he goes back to texting Jeno and ignoring Donghyuck. However, seeing his name pop up in his notifications gives him an idea. "Why don't you ask Donghyuck?"</p><p>"Jaem, you're nuts."</p><p>Jaemin is not. Donghyuck loves to destroy things, that is what he does.</p><p>"Hyuck!" his brother squeals, thrilled by the suggestion. Jisung has always been fond of Donghyuck, but that is mostly because Donghyuck keeps doing shit he is not supposed to, and Jisung loves breaking the rules. "Yes! Let's call Hyuck."</p><p>"No."</p><p>"<em>But Dad</em>—"</p><p>"No, Jisung. I'd still love to have a kitchen at the end of the day."</p><p>Jaemin rolls his eyes. There he goes again with his <em>Donghyuck is a demon</em> thing. "You're saying that as if Hyuck is going to level our house to the ground. It's Hyuck, dad."</p><p>"Exactly," Taeyong says, "it's <em>Hyuck</em>."</p><p>And Hyuck is one of a kind. He is the most lovable asshole Jaemin has met in his life, his platonic soulmate. However, being so close to one another means Donghyuck knows all of his weak spots.</p><p><em>Isn't it selfish to think he'll wait for you forever? </em>Is the text Donghyuck sends him next, and Jaemin goes rigid.</p><p>He does not know, nor does he want to know. Leaving the text unanswered, he immediately mutes Donghyuck, not willing to have that conversation on a godforsaken Monday. He knows Donghyuck has the best intentions, trying to give him a little push—whether the push is objectively little or not is up to debate—but he can not help himself but wither, can not help but falter.</p><p>Admittedly, he has asked himself that question a couple of times before, haunted by the possibility of Jeno not wanting him, or even worse, him losing his chance with him due to waiting too long. Then again, that would insinuate he actually had a chance in the first place, and Jaemin's brain has yet to decide whether or not the boy even reciprocates his feelings.</p><p>Which is kind of funny once you think about it, considering he has been trying to ask him to be his boyfriend for months now.</p><p>It is conflicting, the way a part of his brain is so sure Jeno already gave himself to him while the other believes there is nothing more to them but friendship. Donghyuck told him once he should try to figure things out before making a move for the sake of all of them, but Jaemin refused to do so. He couldn't do it. Donghyuck suggested spending some time apart, and that was what bothered him the most. The sole thought of not being in touch in Jeno made him sick. It was not about him. It is not about him. Jaemin is sure of his feelings, he knows what he feels for Jeno is far than platonic. The problem is Jeno and his stupid mysterious smiles, and shy looks and bold touches.</p><p>Occupied by his thoughts and Jeno, Jaemin barely pays attention to what is happening around him. He does not hear what his dad and brother are talking about, nor the sound of a car on the driveway. What snaps him out of his thoughts is the tattletale sound of their front door slamming shut, meaning his other father is back home from work. He shares a knowing look with his dad.</p><p>"Hello, beautiful," the man greets as soon as he enters the room. As he walks towards the couch, he takes off his suit and throws it on the unoccupied armchair. Then he ruffles Jaemin's hair. "Jaems. Sungie," he greets the boys.</p><p>"Oh, come on," Jaemin swats his hands away. The only person that can touch his hair is Jeno. He wants Jeno to touch his hair. "Don't touch the hair."</p><p>"Pardon me. I forgot no one is allowed to touch your precious hair," his appa teases. "Do you hear him, Tae? <em>Don't touch the hair</em>. Who would've thought that mere two months ago he agreed on getting his head shaved."</p><p>Jaemin sighs. It seems like that dark past is going to haunt him forever.</p><p>"Appa," Jisung crosses his arms across his chest. "Where's my paper and glue?"</p><p>"Oh, Sungie," he says. "I forgot. I'll buy it tomorrow, I promise."</p><p>"But I need it tomorrow!" the boy cries out.</p><p>"Jaehyun, he's been raving about doing a project with Chenle for days now," Jaemin hears his dad say from the kitchen. "All he's been talking about is how he's going to go to Chenle's on Tuesday after school, which is, in case you're not aware, tomorrow. He needs the paper and glue <em>today</em>."</p><p>Good god, if Jaemin has not heard about this project for at least a million times now. His dad is absolutely right; the only thing Jisung has been talking about for the past three days is Chenle and the damn project. Chenle this, Chenle that. His appa was probably too busy thinking about work to listen to him.</p><p>Jaemin scoffs and looks at Jisung, "I told you he'd forget."</p><p>The comment was not even meant to sound mean, so to see his appa go a full 180 and get angry is a shock.</p><p>"Have I not said I'm fucking sorry?" He asks, clearly pissed off. Jaemin flinches, and his eyes widen in fear for a second, forgetting this is his appa yelling. "But no, you all have to gang up on me. I'll get your damn paper, alright?"</p><p>It takes him about three seconds to leave the house, slamming the door shut during his departure even harder than he usually does just to show his irritation. Jaemin heart is still threatening to jump out of his chest, but he is more shocked than scared. He has to remind himself a couple more times it is just Jaehyun, his appa. Jaehyun is not scary. Jaehyun is good.</p><p>"Well, that could've gone better," he comments after what seems like an eternity, trying to lighten the mood. Jisung looks seconds away from crying.</p><p>"He's being an ass," is what his dad replies.</p><p>Jaemin does not respond to that. He curls up on the couch and clutches his phone closer to his chest. Oh, does he hate Mondays.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Fears</strong>
</p><p>Jaemin can hear them.</p><p>They are trying to keep it down, no doubt for the sake of him and Jisung, but their voices still bounce off the walls, traveling down the hall, all the way to his room. He can hear his dad curse. He can hear his appa sneer. They keep losing control of their voices, accidentally going into full-blown screaming matches, quieting down only after realizing how loud they got.</p><p> Jaemin does not remember when was the last time they fought like this.  </p><p>He should not worry. It is normal. Donghyuck is always complaining about his parents fighting, claiming their capability of having a proper conversation is equal to none. He is always complaining, and yet, things are still great. Just because Jaemin spent the first couple of years of his life living with people who were incapable of loving themselves, much less another person, does not mean Taeyong and Jaehyun are like that too. He went through this. Jaemin went through this with himself multiple times before. There is nothing to worry about. It is normal.</p><p>Jisung is snoring above him, unaware of the commotion happening down the hall. The boy could sleep through a hurricane—a petty fight is nothing for him. After all, Jisung has, unlike Jaemin, spent his whole early childhood at the orphanage; Jaemin assumes living with dozens of other children under the same roof makes you immune to noise.</p><p>Oh, how Jaemin wishes he was immune.</p><p>Without a second thought, he slips out of bed, grabs the closest sweatshirt he can find and sneaks out of his room. Next thing he knows, he is already at the end of his street, unsure where to go or what to do next. Sneaking out of the house is easy—being alone is not. He stands there at the corner, looking at the empty street ahead of him. His phone says it is 1 in the morning. There is nowhere he can go.</p><p>Or is there?</p><p>He could go to Jeno's place. Jeno lives only 15 minutes away. He will not stay for long, just long enough for the nasty feeling in his guts to subdue. Yes, he should go to Jeno's place. He should go to Jeno.</p><p>The ringback tone is far louder in the dead of the night than it is during the day. Maybe it is because Jaemin is on the edge. Maybe it is because it is quiet. Maybe it is because Jeno is taking too long to answer. Jaemin does not know.</p><p>It rings, and rings, and rings. Nothing.</p><p>Dejected, he is about to hang up, and then Jeno's groggy voice rips through the speaker, echoing through the night. Jaemin is about to apologize for calling, afraid Jeno might be upset, but the boy turns out to be anything but that.</p><p>"<em>Jaem</em>?" he calls, obviously worried. "<em>Jaem, what happened?</em>"</p><p>That is all it takes for Jaemin to start crying. At this point, he is not even sure why he is crying, but he knows that for the greater good, Jeno should not know. He bites his bottom lip to prevent himself from sobbing, wipes his tears with the back of his hand, and lets out a shuddering exhale.</p><p>"I'm okay," he tells him. Lies. Is it even a lie? In the distance, a truck passes by. It is loud, and Jaemin knows Jeno heard it as well.</p><p>"<em>You're out</em>?" Jeno says—asks?—and he is far more awake than he was seconds before. "<em>What are you doing out? It's 1 in the morning! What's going on?</em>"</p><p>"I—I don't know," he answers truthfully. He pulls the phone away from his face for a moment so he could sniff without Jeno hearing him. "Jeno."</p><p>"<em>Jaemin</em>."</p><p>"Can I come over?"</p><p>Jeno is silent at first. "<em>Please tell me you're not planning on walking all the way here</em>," he begs, and Jaemin halts in his steps. He was already strolling down the street that is heading towards Jeno, not even waiting for his response.</p><p>"I need to come over, Jen," he whispers, hating the way his guts are churning, the way his chest is aching. He wants to come and crawl under Jeno's sheets, have him hold him, even just for a little while.</p><p>"<em>No</em>," Jeno says, and Jaemin heart drops for a brief moment, thinking Jeno does not want him over. "<em>I'll come and get you. Stay where you are. Actually, no. Wait for me at the playground. Go to the slide, and hide in the tower</em>."     </p><p>Jaemin laughs through tears. The last thing he wants is to be a bother, but leave it to Jeno to treat him like a damsel in distress. "Why hide? Nothing's going to happen. Just—stay in bed. I can walk. I'll be there in 15."</p><p>"<em>I'm already out of bed</em>," Jeno says. "<em>Please. Wait for me at the playground. I'll come and get you</em>."</p><p>There is a hint of desperation in his voice Jaemin hates, so he as no other choice but to comply. "Okay."</p><p>"<em>I'll come and get you</em>," Jeno repeats himself. "<em>I'll take my bike</em>."</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>"<em>Wait for me</em>."</p><p>And Jaemin waits.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Quiet Nights, Empty Streets, Open Hearts</strong>
</p><p>Jeno shows up with a trail of dust behind him, and he almost barrels into the rusty old trashcan near the seesaw upon his arrival, too caught up staring at Jaemin to pay attention to his surroundings. His bike screeches as he hits the brakes, and if it were to be anyone else, they would have toppled over, but it is Jeno, and Jeno manages to stay on his feet and not eat dirt.</p><p>He lets the bike fall to the ground without a second thought, and Jaemin winces on his behalf, knowing how expensive it is, but Jeno does not seem to care the slightest. He jogs to the swing set where Jaemin is sitting, and then stops a few feet away, almost as if he is too scared to approach him. Jaemin knows he wants to scold him for not listening, for waiting for him out in the open. He knows Jeno <em>hates</em> when he does not listen.</p><p>And yet, all Jeno does is take a few hesitant steps forward, almost as if he is trying to approach a scared and injured animal, and he offers Jaemin his hand. "Let's go home."</p><p>And boy, does Jaemin start sobbing once those words leave his mouth. He thought he had let it all out before, but seeing Jeno in front of him, clad in his pajamas and house slippers, waiting for him, makes him choke on thin air. Thinking about how he got out of bed and came all the way here to get Jaemin's dramatic ass—</p><p>"Jeno," Jaemin bawls like a child. "<em>Jeno</em>."</p><p>Jeno answers in the form of a hug, pulling Jaemin to his chest, letting him cry his heart out. He knows Jaemin is a gentle soul with a tendency to bottle things up, so he lets him hold him without having to explain himself, sure the other boy will say what is bothering him later when he calms down. He is always acting tough, making fun of Donghyuck for crying whenever he stumbles upon a minor inconvenience, calling him a wuss. Donghyuck at least lets his frustration out through his tears, which allows him to go back to normal within minutes, but Jaemin...</p><p>It takes hours—<em>days</em>—for Jaemin to snap out of it.</p><p>"It's bad, huh?" He asks, threading his hand through the boy's hair. Jaemin shoves his head further into his chest, holding onto him for dear life, almost as if he is silently agreeing. It is uncomfortable, for Jaemin's nose digs into his sternum, but he does not mind.</p><p>"It's stupid," he croaks, shaking his head. "Stupid."</p><p>"Well, it can't be that stupid if you're crying this much," Jeno says, tugging at his ear as some pathetic form of chiding. "Stop diminishing your feelings."</p><p>"I don't even know why I'm crying," he tells him, and then bitterly laughs. He does know why he is crying. He just does not want to say it. "Fuck, I'm turning into Donghyuck."</p><p>"And that's okay. Everyone has Donghyuck days."  </p><p>"I'm sorry."</p><p>Jeno frowns. "What are you apologizing for?"</p><p>"For waking you up. Making you come here. I don't know."</p><p>Those words do not sit well with Jeno, so he gently pulls away to crouch so he could have a better look at Jaemin. The street lamp behind him casts a warm light on the boy, making his eyes sparkle. It would have been a beautiful view if it were not for the tear tracks running down his cheeks.</p><p>"<em>That's</em> stupid."</p><p>He must have an expression to match his words because Jaemin laughs, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "You've got sleep marks all over your face," he says after a couple of seconds, tracing the sheet lines that are running down the side of his cheek. Jeno leans into his hand.</p><p>"Can we stay here for a while?" He asks, smile gone.</p><p>"Of course."</p><p>Jaemin retreats his hand, and Jeno stands up, settling onto the swing next to him. He is still not thrilled with the prospect of being out in the open in the middle of the night, but Jaemin seems like he could use some fresh air, and Jaemin's wellbeing is currently his no.1 priority. It is not like Jeno could not fight off someone. He might not be the biggest and the buffest guy out there, but he knows the basics of Taekwondo, and that must count for something.</p><p>It takes some time for Jaemin to calm down. Maybe 5 minutes, maybe 20; Jeno does not know, for his phone is somewhere on the floor in his bedroom, left there as a measure of precaution since his dad has a GPS tracker on him. They sit there in silence, watching the vacant street that runs along the edge of the park that is surrounding the playground. There is not a single car in sight.</p><p>"They're fighting," Jaemin says, voice void of any particular emotion. Jeno stays quiet, waiting for him to continue.</p><p>"I know it's normal. It's not like it's never happened before, too. But I—I'm just so fucking <em>scared</em>, and I can't help it," he whispers. "I hate it. I hate feeling like this."</p><p>Just in case, Jeno must ask. "Are you scared of them yelling? Is the yelling what's bothering you?"</p><p>Jaemin shakes his head no. "It's not that."</p><p>Jeno does not answer at first. He lets what Jaemin has said settle in, pulling the pieces together, trying to figure out what is that is bothering him using his general knowledge of the boy. It does not take him long to connect the dots. He also knows Jaemin will not dare to say it out loud, afraid it might come true.</p><p>"You're scared they're going to divorce, aren't you?"</p><p>The way Jaemin's face turns into a grimace is a good enough confirmation. He doubles over, pressing his forehead against his knees, not saying anything for a good minute or so. "I told you it's stupid."</p><p>Jeno lets out a sad sigh. "It's not."</p><p>"It is."</p><p>"Okay, it kinda is," Jeno admits in the end, and Jaemin whips his head around so fast it catches Jeno off guard, making it easy for Jaemin to hit him. "<em>Ow</em>!"</p><p>"That's for being a dick," Jaemin says with a pout. He does not expect Jeno to understand. Jeno has had a family since the day he was born, and Jaemin—he did not. He did not, so the thought of losing something so precious to him scares him.</p><p>"Listen, Jaem," Jeno turns to look at him. "I get it. Even I get scared when my parents fight, especially now when getting a divorce seems to be trendy, but you got to realize they're only human. Even you and I fight from time to time," he says, gesturing between them. "And let's not forget Donghyuck—you two fight <em>all the time</em>. Does that mean you love him any less? That you don’t wanna be his friend anymore?"</p><p>"No," Jaemin says quietly.</p><p>"Exactly. Now, I don't want to say you don't know your own parents, but as someone that's known them for longer than you have, I can confidently say you have <em>nothing</em> to worry about."</p><p>"You sure?" Jaemin asks, looking for any sort of insincerity in Jeno's eyes. He finds none.</p><p>Perhaps Jeno is right. He has, after all, known them for longer than Jaemin has. Taeyong and Jaehyun have been a part of his life since the minute he was born, quite literally; they were keeping an eye on Doyoung during the delivery upon Jeno's mother's request. <em>If he faints, drag him out of here</em>, his dad claims she said the second they were rushed into the LDR room.</p><p>They were the first ones to hold Jeno and his brother apart from their parents. They were there when the twins made their first steps. They were there for their first day of school. Taeyong is Bin's <em>godfather</em>.</p><p>Their families are so intertwined that sometimes, Jaemin feels as if Jeno and Bin are more of his parents' children than he and Jisung are. </p><p>"Jaem, they've been together longer than we've been alive," he reminds the other. Jaemin knows that. Their wedding anniversary is a week apart from Jisung's birthday, so they frequently celebrate those two together. It's been their 10<sup>th</sup> this February. "Dad always says relationships are a bumpy road to take. <em>Very</em> bumpy. But people make it work. I'm sure uncle Taeyong's not going to leave Jaehyun because they've hit a pothole," he deadpans. "A fridge-sized pothole."</p><p>Jaemin laughs, wiping his runny nose with a sleeve. "That fucking fridge. I don't think appa knows how much it bothers us."</p><p>"You guys should tell him, then."</p><p>"Easier said than done. He's been in a world of his own for weeks now. Sometimes it feels like I'm talking to a wall," he admits. "I don't think they're fighting about the fridge though. I'm telling you, he's been weird lately."</p><p>Jeno hums, sympathizing with him. "I know. Same thing with my dad. They've got a big case coming up."</p><p>Jaemin raises his eyebrows. "I didn't know that," he says. His appa never talks about work when he's at home.</p><p>"Yeah, it's been messy. I heard dad telling mom he's never had a case this bad."</p><p>Hearing that makes Jaemin feel bad. His father must have a lot on his plate right now, and all he has done lately is complain. He lets out a choked grunt. Scorching guilt replaces the ugly fear from before.</p><p>"Are you feeling better now?" Jeno's voice is sweet when he asks.</p><p>"Not really," Jaemin honestly answers, picking at the skin around his nails. The gravel crunches under Jeno's slippers when he stands up—it reminds Jaemin of his guts. Or maybe it is his heart. Jaemin does not know.</p><p>He watches Jeno step closer to him, and there is a soft smile on his face as he watches Jaemin frown. For the second time, he offers Jaemin his hand. "Let's go home."</p><p> </p><p>  </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Safe, Sound, and Sure</strong>
</p><p>When Jeno said <em>home</em>, Jaemin assumed he had his own home in mind, but the white two-story house they stop at is a far cry from the moss green bungalow the Kims own, and Jaemin can not hide the surprise in his voice when he asks:</p><p>"Why are we here?"</p><p>Jeno turns his head to the side, looking at Jaemin over his shoulder. "Well, I said I'll take you home, didn't I?"</p><p>Jaemin does not let go of Jeno's waist, nor does he get off the bike. "But I—"</p><p>"I'll stay with you for a while," he assures him, placing one of his hands over Jaemin's in hopes it would ease his mind. Jaemin's grip on Jeno tightens despite the promise.</p><p>"What if they're still—"</p><p>"They're not."  </p><p>Jaemin looks back at his house and takes in the darkness of it; Jeno is right. Everyone must be asleep. There is no way his parents are still fighting.</p><p>With a shuddery exhale, he lets go of Jeno and gets off the bike but stays rooted in place, patiently waiting for the other boy. Jeno gets off the bike soon after and does not waste time offering Jaemin his hand, pulling him towards the house as soon as he takes it. They move on autopilot, heading straight to the back door where the spare key lies under a garden gnome, avoiding the front door at all costs—it squeaks like a century-old seesaw, and would for sure wake up the whole neighborhood. Both of his parents are aware they should have gotten it replaced months ago, but neither is willing to do anything about it. <em>It gives the house some character</em>, Donghyuck's dad once said, and that is what his parents have been repeating ever since. Jaemin is not too sure about that.</p><p>"I'll just leave the bike here," Jeno whispers, carefully leaning the bike against the wall of the house.</p><p>Guilt continues to simmer at the bottom of Jaemin's guts as Jeno deals with his bike, looking ridiculous in his whole pajama attire. He crosses his arms and grips his upper arms tightly, mimicking a hug. "Maybe you should leave, too."</p><p>Jeno freezes immediately. "What?"</p><p>"It's late, and we have school in the morning and I—I don't know why I even called. I'm fine."</p><p>"No, you're not," the other frowns ever so slightly, reaching out for Jaemin. "Come on, let's get you in bed. Don't make me mad."</p><p>"But Jeno—"</p><p>"No buts. Come on."</p><p>"It's late—"</p><p>"Yeah, it's late, but I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway unless I'm sure you're okay," Jeno mutters, minding the fact it is around 2 in the morning, not raising his voice. "So get your ass moving, Jaem."</p><p>Something weird happens to Jaemin's heart because of those words, and he malfunctions, tripping over his own feet right after taking the first step. Luckily, Jeno was already reaching out for him, so he manages to catch him before he kisses the ground. Jaemin heart continues to beat like crazy even after Jeno pulls him back to his feet, and he sways a bit, woozy because of the sudden rush of adrenaline.</p><p>"Hey, hey," the boy whispers, "are you okay?"</p><p>Jaemin only nods his head.</p><p>"Oh, you're definitely ready for bed," Jeno mutters, gently pulling Jaemin towards the door.</p><p>It is only after entering that a particular thought comes to Jaemin's mind, and he stops dead in his tracks, subsequently causing Jeno to stop, too. His friend turns to look at him, raising a single eyebrow, but Jaemin does not see it due to Jeno's voluminous bowl cut, so he pulls him closer and whispers:</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Jaemin tugs him back so they are closer to the back door, away from the living room. "What if my appa's in the living room? On the couch?"</p><p>Jeno makes a weird face. "You think Taeyong would make him sleep on the couch?"</p><p>Jaemin purses his lips, thinking about it. "Well, no."</p><p>"And I strongly agree with that conclusion, so let's go."</p><p>They tiptoe around the house like professional spies, avoiding every single squeaky floorboard, skipping every single squeaky staircase tread (2<sup>nd</sup>, 5<sup>th</sup>, and 14<sup>th</sup> respectfully). It is easy to navigate around the place despite the dark, being familiar with every nook and cranny of the house, but Jisung's snoring is also a good pointer, drawing them to the room like a siren would a sailor.</p><p>Jaemin's eyelids start to feel heavier with each step he takes, almost as if his body finally caught up with the events and is ready to shut down as soon as he reaches his bed. Jeno gently drags him into the room, repeating <em>almost there, Jaem</em> over and over again. They almost fall, tripping over the pile of dirty clothes Jaemin perpetually has next to his bed, and Jaemin can not stop the soft giggle from escaping his mouth after hearing Jeno curse under his breath.</p><p>"Sorry," he croaks, grabbing the frame of the bunk bed to stabilize himself.</p><p>"Shhh," Jeno puts a finger over his mouth, not impressed with how loud Jaemin got. "Jisung," he reminds him, nodding his head in the direction of the upper bunk.</p><p>"Oh, don't worry," Jaemin drawls, peeking over the guardrail. "He's out."</p><p>"You seem seconds away from blacking out, too," Jeno whispers and then tugs his hand. "Let's go to bed."</p><p>The second he hits the mattress, Jaemin is a goner, barely keeping his eyes open. Crying drained him dry. Jeno settles next to him, and Jaemin tries to pull him closer, eager to cuddle, but Jeno does not budge. He continues to sit on the edge, smiling ever so slightly as he threads his fingers through Jaemin's hair.</p><p>"You should wash your hair."</p><p>Jaemin tries to swat Jeno's hand away as soon as he points that out, but he is too tired and too weak to do any real damage. Jeno laughs at his pathetic attempt but indulges him nonetheless, letting go of his hair only to grab his hand instead. His laugh dies out.</p><p>"You have nothing to worry, okay?" he mutters after a while, playing with Jaemin's fingers.</p><p>"Okay," Jaemin replies. He tightens his hold on Jeno's hand. "You should go home. We have school in like, 5 hours."</p><p>"I'll head back after you fall asleep," Jeno says.</p><p>"I better fall asleep fast then."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Goodnight, Jen. Thank you."</p><p>A small smile appears on Jeno's face as he watches Jaemin drift off. "Night, Jaem. Love you."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Determined</strong>
</p><p>Jaemin wakes up determined.</p><p>Last night's—<em>this morning's</em>—events keep replaying in his head like a broken record, a neverending carol-like jingle of <em>Jeno Jeno Jeno</em>. Jeno this, Jeno that. The boy has been living in Jaemin's mind rent-free for years now, but today is, by far, the most <em>Jeno</em> day Jaemin ever experienced, and he is not sure whether his brain is trying to drive him insane or indulge him, but one thing is sure;</p><p>Kim Jeno is a <em>gem</em>, and he shall be his.</p><p>With that thought in mind, he springs out of bed, rummages through his closet for a nice shirt and clean boxers, and pulls his favorite pair of jeans—the lucky ones—out of the dirty pile of clothes next to the bed before running to the bathroom as if his life depends on it.</p><p>Jeno is <em>good</em>. Jeno is so good, Jaemin is sure he must be an angel of some sort, and if he is not, Jaemin will do everything in his power to make him one, or at least give him the title of something similar. Beatify him after he dies, or something—canonization seems too far fetched. Or maybe not. Could he bribe the Pope into making Jeno a saint? Probably. But that is all in case he dies before Jaemin, of course.</p><p>He briefly stops thinking about Jeno so he could turn on the shower, for multitasking is not his forte. Then he throws the clothes he brought with him into the sink, takes off the clothes he is wearing, and hops in the shower, only to be met with a stream of freezing cold water, just like yesterday.</p><p>And here is the thing; Jaemin likes his showers hot. He likes them <em>scorching</em> hot, hot to the point where when he leaves the stall, he is as red as one of the tomatoes from Donghyuck's garden. </p><p>"<em>Dad</em>," he yells, forgetting Jisung is still asleep, blinded by anger. "There's no hot water again!"</p><p>He holds his breath as he steps out of the shower, anticipating the answer. His dad yells back. "I know."</p><p>Jaemin utters a nasty set of curses under his breath, shoving the clothes he left on the floor aside with his foot before opening the cabinet under the sink looking for the year-old bottle of dry hair shampoo his dad accidentally bought instead of hairspray last summer.</p><p>No sign of it.</p><p>His dad must have thrown it away, and Jaemin can not even be mad at him since no one was using it anyway, but damn, does he wish he kept it. He curses once again, shimmies back into his boxers, and stomps out of the bathroom, on the verge of a breakdown. He needs help, and he needs it <em>now</em>.</p><p>"You're up quite early," his dad points out as soon as he steps out of his room, catching sight of Jaemin standing in the middle of the hallway, waiting for him half-naked and irritated.</p><p>"I got up early so I could have enough time to take a shower and wash my hair," he informs his dad, "which is clearly not happening."</p><p>"Ah, well. You can thank your Appa for that." The man bites back, and Jaemin winces. He repeats the words Jeno told him hours ago, how it is normal for couples to fight, and how he should not worry. Their quarrel is not important now. Jeno is.</p><p>As his dad turns to head towards the staircase, Jaemin stops him.</p><p>"Dad."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"I really need that shower," Jaemin tells him, hoping he would pick up on the desperation in his voice.</p><p>The man runs a hand through his hair. "If we turn it on now, maybe you'll have enough water to take a quick shower before we go."</p><p>"Dad, you don’t understand!" he pushes himself off the wall he is leaning on, tiptoeing towards him with a worried look on his face. He casts a glance towards his room, checking if Jisung the snitch is still asleep. Then he whispers, "You can't tell this to anyone, but I have a date today, and I honest to god look like a literal turd right now. Like, I <em>really</em> need to take a shower and wash my hair."</p><p>Even <em>Jeno</em> told him to wash his hair.</p><p>"Oh," is the only thing that leaves Taeyong's mouth at first. Then he leans closer, more curious than ever, and Jaemin knows what is coming next.</p><p>"<em>Is it Jeno</em>?"</p><p>"Oh my god, dad, of course it's Jen," Jaemin confirms, turning red in an instant. He knows his dad is kind of aware of his crush, but admitting it still makes him want to crawl in a hole and die. "I thought about asking him if we could, you know, be official. Today, dad. <em>Today</em>."</p><p>"Oh," the man says again. "So you want to dress up for your boy?"</p><p>"Fuck, dad," Jaemin cries. "Yes. I need to look good. Or at least not smell like an ass."</p><p>"Shit," he curses, and then promptly covers his mouth with his hand. "Pretend you didn't hear that. Uh, I can warm up some water in the kitchen? You could wash up a bit with a towel, and then wash your hair in the washbasin."</p><p>Jaemin is desperate enough. "<em>Please</em>."</p><p>His father nods curtly and runs downstairs like a man on a mission, and Jaemin can only hope things work out. He runs a hand through his hair, quite anxious. The day is terrible already. What if it ends up being a Monday 2.0? What if Jeno ends up rejecting him, and he ruins their friendship?</p><p>There are so many things at stake. He can only hope he did not misunderstand Jeno's actions, and the boy indeed likes him more than a friend. If not, well, Jaemin is royally fucked then. Yes, he can always blame Donghyuck for encouraging him. Maybe it would make him feel better. Would it fix his suddenly awkward relationship with Jeno, though? No. So Donghyuck better be right.</p><p>He is about to head to his room when a loud noise from downstairs startles him, and it does not sound good. Something happened.</p><p>"Dad?" Jaemin comes running down the stairs, halting in his steps after seeing his dad and the awkward pose he is in, holding onto the kitchen island by dear life, surrounded by a puddle of water. It is easy to put the pieces together. The fridge must be leaking again, and he slipped, just like Jisung did last Saturday when Jeno was over.</p><p>"Uh. Do you want me to go and grab a mop?"</p><p>The man shakes his head, pulling himself into an upright position. "Give me that jacket."</p><p>Despite the weird order, Jaemin scans the living and dining area looking for the said jacket, only to freeze after seeing his appa's Armani jacket thrown over the armchair. He turns around to look at his dad, pointing with his finger at the expensive piece of clothing. "This jacket?"</p><p>"Yes. Give me the damn jacket, Jaemin."</p><p>"But—"</p><p>"<em>Jaemin</em>."</p><p>Hesitantly, Jaemin hands over the black jacket, and as soon as it is in his father's hands, the other throws it onto the ground without batting an eye. What's more, he starts stomping over it, dragging it over the floor, sweeping all of the water back towards the refrigerator before ramming the piece of clothing into the space underneath it, using it as a makeshift barrier.</p><p>"Wow. He's going to kill you," Jaemin says in awe. That was an Armani jacket he shoved under the fridge. His appa's <em>favorite</em> Armani jacket.</p><p>"I don’t give a shit," the other replies, turning around and pulling a huge pot out of one of the cabinets. Jaemin continues to stare at him, still in awe. Is this what being in a relationship looks like?</p><p>"Jaem," he mutters, "tell Dongyuck to come over after school. I'll pick him and Jisung up after they're done with class."</p><p>Jaemin pauses. "You're seriously gonna let Donghyuck ruin the fridge?" When Jaemin suggested that particular option yesterday, he did not think his father would even consider it.</p><p>"If your Appa wants war, he'll get it."</p><p>"Uh. Okay?"</p><p>Jaemin is becoming more and more sure today is going to be a Monday 2.0.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <strong>Sweet</strong></p><p>Jaemin is already at the school's parking lot waiting for Donghyuck when uncle Ten comes barreling in, almost crashing into the STOP sign, kicking Donghyuck out of his Aston Martin as soon as they are off the main road, and driving away. The boy continues to stand exactly where the man left him, watching him disappear in the distance, and Jaemin does not know what is happening, but he believes Donghyuck is just as confused as he is.</p><p>He is about to call him over when the same red Aston Martin drifts back to the parking lot, and unlike Jaemin, Donghyuck does not seem too surprised. It is most likely because of the school bag Ten throws at Donghyuck through the window, the one he must have forgotten, accompanied by a rather affectionate <em>fucking behave</em>.</p><p>This time, as he drives away, Donghyuck waves him goodbye.</p><p>"Well, that was quite an entrance," Jaemin says in lieu of a greeting when Donghyuck approaches him.</p><p>"He's got some kind of a meeting in like," the boy quickly checks the time, "10 minutes."</p><p>"Do you think he's gonna make it in time?"</p><p>"Nah."</p><p>They head to the building. Jaemin purposely walks at a slow pace, buying himself time, knowing Jeno is waiting at the entrance like he always does, and Jaemin, well, he is scared. All of his confidence ran out as soon as he left his house, and now all he wants to do is go back home and call off their <em>definitely-not-a-date</em> date. Donghyuck notices something is off right away, not only from his behavior but his appearance as well.</p><p>"What's up with you? Your outfit's giving me Vogue cover vibes, but the eyebags under your eyes make you look like a post-mental-breakdown college student," he says, giving him yet another once over.</p><p>Jaemin stops walking. "Hyuck, are you really sure Jeno likes me?"</p><p>Realization dawns on the other boy's face. "Ah, yeah. You've got your little date today."</p><p>"Donghyuck, the question."</p><p>"Oh, c'mon Jaemin."</p><p>"Hyuck, please. I need to hear it."</p><p>Donghyuck sighs. "Dude, I'm pretty sure he loves you. I told you. All you have to do is <em>ask</em>."</p><p>Jaemin bites his lip, searching for any sort of insincerity in Donghyuck's eyes. All he finds is irritation and mild disgust.</p><p>"He's looking at you with these ugly fucking heart eyes, I can't even, ugh," he grunts, shifting his eyes from Jaemin's to something behind him. "And you're matching, too. How wonderful."</p><p>Jaemin stupidly follows his gaze, going rigid as soon as his eyes meet Jeno's. Donghyuck is true, though. They are kind of matching. Jeans. A white, flowy shirt. Beaten up Converse. "We didn't do it on purpose, I swear."</p><p>"You two disgust me," he says, and promptly starts pulling Jaemin towards the entrance.</p><p>"<em>Donghyuck</em>."</p><p>"Shut up. Your man looks like a kicked puppy. Go give him his hug. We'll see each other later."</p><p>He shoves him right in Jeno's arms as soon as they get within a reasonable distance from one another and then proceeds to walk into the building with a sleazy smile, not even saying hello to Jeno. Jaemin, much like he did when Jeno took him home, trips and almost kisses the ground, but Jeno saves him in the last second just like he did then, and they share one brief look before bursting into giggles.</p><p> "Looking good, Jen," Jaemin says, pinching his cheek. Somehow, now that Jeno is standing and smiling like a fool in front of him, Jaemin's courage came back doubled. It is always like that; Jaemin is full of doubts until he is with Jeno.</p><p>"I could say the same for you," he says, giving him a once over. Jaemin did not know it was possible for his smile to grow any bigger. "You're wearing the ones I got you for your birthday!"</p><p>Jaemin shifts on his feet, looking at the black, beaten-up Converse he got from the Kims a year ago. They've been feeling a bit tight lately, but he wears them diligently nonetheless. "I thought they were a collective gift," he teases.</p><p>"Do you really think Bin knows when's your birthday?" the boy asks, laughing. "Come one, Jaem, I thought you were smarter than that."</p><p>Jaemin pretends to be offended. "Well, that's just mean. <em>I</em> know <em>his</em> birthday."</p><p>"Well, that might be because we share it," Jeno teases.</p><p>"Are you implying I wouldn't know Bin's birthday if you two weren't twins?"</p><p>"That is exactly what I'm implying."</p><p>Jaemin purses his lips, "You might be right."</p><p>Jeno shakes his head and walks over to the door, holding it open for Jaemin to pass. Jaemin bows slightly, showing his gratitude for the kind gesture, and Jeno guffaws, shaking his head once again. He makes it so easy to love him. Jaemin feels like he is perpetually wrapped up in a soft blanket made of comfort and giggles—and that is, essentially, what Jeno is. A soft, giggly care-bear. Jaemin truly does not deserve him, but if Jaemin is anything, that is selfish. And Jaemin wants Jeno.  </p><p>Even if he does not deserve him, he will shoot his shot.</p><p>"So, are we still on for later?" He asks, trying to be subtle, but being anything but that.</p><p>"What?" Jeno asks, briefly processing Jaemin's question before answering, "Oh, ice cream! Yeah, of course."</p><p>"Sweet," Jaemin chirps.</p><p>"Sweet," Jeno echoes.</p><p>Jaemin slowly slips his hand into Jeno's as they walk towards their classroom. <em>Sweet</em>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Bad Choices</strong>
</p><p>Every single day of his life, Jaemin regrets being friends with Donghyuck. It is not that Donghyuck is a horrible person—he is not, at least not deliberately—but he lives and thrives off chaos, and that is a firm guarantee something will go to shit eventually. However, the thing that bugs Jaemin the most is that in situations like those, when everything goes terribly wrong, it is never Donghyuck who gets the short end of the stick. <em>Never</em>.</p><p>Jeno must be waiting for him at the gates already, but what is Jaemin doing? He is getting yelled at by their Maths teacher for <em>looking suspicious while lurking</em> <em>around the halls</em>. The man has never liked him much, and Jaemin admits he has every reason to since he once accidentally slammed a door in his face, but this? This is just ridiculous.</p><p>"I'm not even doing anything!" He repeats once again and raises his hands to show his empty palms, trying to convince the teacher he is not a threat. The man does not seem to believe him.</p><p>"Jung, the last class of the day ended 20 minutes ago," he reminds him and shows the empty hallway they are in. "Unless there is a good reason for you to sneak around the school grounds, I will have to report this to the principal."</p><p>Jaemin is sure Mr. Payne would not even bat an eyelash if it were to be anyone else, but since it is him, and Mr. Payne hates him, he can only pray he does not get detention. If he ends up getting detention, his dad will have a breakdown and cry, and Jaemin <em>hates</em> to see him cry.</p><p><em>Fuck my life</em>, he thinks to himself. <em>Fuck this school, fuck those stupid bugs, fuck Donghyuck</em>.</p><p>Jaemin really regrets being friends with Donghyuck, especially now that while he is getting chewed by Mr. Payne, all he can think of is Donghyuck and whether he is safe. The other boy is leisurely stealing random bugs from their school's terrarium right on the other side of the wall, unaware of the fact Jaemin got caught while keeping watch, and he could walk out any minute now, getting into trouble as well. Jaemin is stupid for trusting him.</p><p>"But Mr. Payne—"</p><p>"Jung—"</p><p>"<em>Jaemin</em>!"</p><p>Jeno halts in his steps as soon as they turn around to face him, and he reminds Jaemin of a deer caught in the headlights. The boy carefully takes in the scene in front of him, noting the panicked look on Jaemin's face and the way he is jerking his head in the direction of the biology classroom, and that is all it takes for him to understand what is going on.</p><p>"Hello, Mr. Payne," he greets with a fake smile on his face, and then he turns to look at Jaemin and asks in a sweet voice, "Jaemin, have you found my notebook?"</p><p>Jaemin, the dumbass, does not get it at first. "What?"</p><p>"My biology notebook, Jaemin," Jeno repeats, the fake smile still plastered on his face. "The one I lost? I sent you to look for it in the classroom."</p><p>It takes a second for Jaemin to understand what is going on. "Oh," he says, and then makes eye contact with the teacher. "Oh! The notebook! Yes! I was looking for Jeno's notebook."</p><p>The man raises an eyebrow, not too convinced. "Mr. Kim, is that true?"</p><p>"Yes," Jeno confirms in a heartbeat. "I realized I lost it after Jaemin asked me to lend it to him so he could copy some of my notes, and we have been looking for it since. I sent him to check if it's in the biology classroom."</p><p>"And?" Mr. Payne asks, and Jaemin continues to stare dumbly at him without saying a word.</p><p>"And what?"</p><p>"Have you found the notebook, Jung?"</p><p>"Oh. No! I haven't. I haven't found it," he stammers. He can see Jeno rolling his eyes in the corner of his eye.</p><p>"Ah, too bad. Someone must have taken it by accident," Jeno says, feigning sadness. He is such a terrible actor Jaemin can not help himself but wince. "Oh well, I'll ask the class about it tomorrow. Jaemin, are you coming?"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah," he splutters and speed-walks by the teacher. He grabs Jeno's hand and begins to walk away as fast as possible, whispering to him to hurry up before saying, "Goodbye, Mr.Payne! See you tomorrow!"</p><p>They bolt down the hallway before the teacher even has the opportunity to yell at them, biting their lips and barely holding in their giggles, so not suspicious. Their backpacks thump against their backs, and their Converse squeak against the floors, echoing through the empty corridors. It reminds Jaemin of that one time he and Donghyuck got chased by a dog. Fun times.</p><p>"What were you thinking?" Jeno wheezes out through his giggles, tugging Jaemin in the direction of the exit.</p><p>"I was helping Donghyuck out!"</p><p>"So you weren't thinking!" Jeno concludes.</p><p>They stop running only after they reach the parking lot, sure they are far out of the teacher's sight. Jaemin throws his backpack to the ground and crouches, taking his time, catching his breath. Jeno is in much better shape since he is an athlete of some sort, and it takes more than a bit of running to break him, so he stands there laughing at his friend's misery. Jaemin, on the other hand, is far from laughing, and he slaps Jeno's leg a couple of times to make him stop, only for him to start laughing even harder.</p><p>"Jen, stop laughing," he whines, pouting.</p><p>"You should've seen your face," Jeno snorts. "You looked like you're going to poop your pants."</p><p>"He was about to give me detention!" Jaemin defends himself. "For what? Literally standing there and breathing?"</p><p>"Ah, you know what Mr. Payne's like."</p><p>"Yeah. He's a major Payne in my ass," Jaemin grumbles. It takes Jeno a couple of seconds to process the pun, but when he does, he laughs so hard he chokes on his own spit.</p><p>"Come on, don’t die on me," Jaemin grumbles, slapping him again. "I've already lost Hyuck. What am I going to do if I lose you too? God, Hyuck. Mr. Payne caught him. He did. I can feel it in my bones."</p><p>"<em>No bitch, he did not! I lived!</em>"</p><p>Jaemin falls onto his ass upon hearing those words, caught off guard by Donghyuck's sudden arrival. The other boy skips to him, holding a Tupperware box proudly above his head with the biggest smile on his face. "Got one!"</p><p>Jaemin looks at him in disbelief. "How did you manage to sneak out without him seeing you?"</p><p>Donghyuck sits on the floor next to Jaemin and lightly shakes the box. "Climbed out through the window. Let's hope there's not a storm coming up tonight, cause I couldn't close it after I got out," he explains and then shoves the box into Jaemin's face. "Look at him! He's so fucking <em>ugly</em>."</p><p>Jeno leans in to have a better look at Donghyuck's catch. "Oh, it's a walkingstick!"</p><p>"Hell yeah, it is! They have tons of them, so I doubt they'll notice if one is missing, " Donghyuck gushes. "I'll call him Pablo."</p><p>"That's kind of fitting," Jeno says. "The order it belongs to is called the Phasmatodea, and they're usually referred to as phasmids. It both starts with a p. Oh, wait! I have an idea! He could be a Pablo with an h. <em>Phablo</em>."</p><p>Donghyuck gives him a dry look. "Jeno, shut up."</p><p>"Sorry."</p><p>Jaemin shakes his head. "Pablo better be worth it, Hyuck. I almost got detention because of him."</p><p>"But you didn't," the other reminds him immediately. "I was eavesdropping the whole time," he says and looks at Jeno. "A notebook? Really Jeno?"</p><p>The boy pouts. "Hey! That was the best I could think of on the spot."</p><p>"Whatever," Donghyuck shakes his head and gets up. "I better be going. I have a fridge to demolish," he says and looks at Jaemin. "Your dad's waiting for me, right?"</p><p>"Yeah," Jaemin confirms. He texted Donghyuck this morning, informing him about his dad's brilliant idea.  </p><p>"Okay. See ya tomorrow, lovebirds. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."</p><p>Jeno turns red as soon as he hears those words, but manages to croak out a <em>goodbye</em>. Oh, how Jaemin regrets being friends with Donghyuck.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Gems</strong>
</p><p>Donghyuck often says Jeno is the human equivalent of a piece of cardboard, but Jaemin knows there is more to him than being a methodic freak and stickler to punctuality. Yes, Jeno has a handwritten timetable hung up on his wall and a leather planner in his bag at all times, but efficiency and order is something that brings him both joy and peace, so Jaemin does not see a problem with it.</p><p>If doing their homework during their non-date will make him feel at ease, who is Jaemin to stop him? Lord knows Jaemin would have never done the homework himself. At least he will be able to copy it in peace later, and not on the floor of his bathroom tomorrow morning.</p><p>Watching Jeno solve math problems is surprisingly soothing, especially with the gentle indie playlist of the ice cream shop playing in the background.  Jaemin has watched him do plenty of their homework, and it never fails to amaze him how smart and diligent Jeno is. Even if he does not know the answer to a question, he will try his best to find it, unlike Jaemin that gives up and closes his notebook as soon as he stumbles upon a challenging question.</p><p>Jeno is truly the sweetest nerd Jaemin has ever met.</p><p>Jungwoo, the waiter, is already used to them, and he brings them their milkshakes 20 minutes into their little date when Jeno is about halfway done with the homework, knowing that otherwise, Jeno's milkshake would turn into a soup by the time he tries it. Jaemin thanks him, and tries to remind him to bring them their ice cream a bit later, but Jungwoo beats him to it.</p><p>"God, Jaemin, you're acting as if I've never served you before," he playfully rolls his eyes and casts a glance at the worksheet Jeno is working on, grimacing after realizing it is maths. "Disgusting."</p><p>"I know," Jaemin agrees, "but Jen is good at maths."</p><p>"He is," Jungwoo says. "You're lucky to have such a smart boyfriend. It'll come in handy in the future, believe me. My dumbass boyfriend keeps miscalculating his tax returns, and I swear every single person working for the IRS knows him."</p><p>As on cue, someone knocks over a glass of water at the other side of the ice cream shop, and Jungwoo disappears before Jaemin even has the opportunity to correct him. Not that it matters much, though. Jeno is dead to the world, deeply focused on their homework. He most certainly did not pay attention to anything Jungwoo was saying.</p><p>A bomb could go off, and Jeno would not notice. Jaemin could drop <em>dead</em>, and Jeno would not notice.</p><p>It is what it is. Donghyuck would most definitely call him whipped if he were to see him, sitting at the table in silence, slurping his milkshake while watching Jeno solve math problems for over half an hour. Jaemin would not even be able to deny it. He knows it. He accepts it.</p><p><em>Jung Jaemin is whipped for Kim Jeno</em>.</p><p>"I'm done!" Jeno chirps suddenly, promptly holding up the worksheet for Jaemin to see. Jaemin heart fills with warmth and pride.</p><p>"Jeno, you're a gem," Jaemin tells him with the fondest little smile on his face.</p><p>Jeno shakes his head, lowering the sheet of paper. "No, <em>you</em> are."</p><p>Jaemin laughs, somewhat confused with his correction. "Jen, you literally finished our whole worksheet in like, half an hour. I haven't done my homework in quite a while now, but I assure you, it would've taken me at least an hour to finish it."</p><p>Jeno shakes his head again. "No, <em>you</em> are, <strong><em>Jaem</em></strong>. Get it? Jaem. <strong><em>Gem</em></strong>. <em>Jaem the gem</em>."</p><p>Jaemin stares at the boy in front of him for a moment, completely speechless, and then he dissolves into laughter. There is something about Jeno, something so pure and soft and so unlike Jaemin himself that it almost feels like a sin for him to like him, but Jaemin has always been, and always will be selfish, so he does not think twice before blurting out, "God, do I love you."</p><p>It is not the first time he said it, but somehow, this time the words sit differently on his tongue, and he knows Jeno picks up on it too, for his smile falters almost immediately upon hearing them. It never leaves his face completely, though. There is the tattletale faint curve to his lips, a crease beneath his eyes that lets Jaemin know he is smiling, and <em>oh</em>, does Jaemin love his eyes. He adores them, knows them better than anyone else in this world. They are the reason why he does not panic, why he does not worry. They tell him everything he needs to know before Jeno tells him himself.</p><p>"Well, that's good to know because I love you too," he says so softly Jaemin is not sure whether he is whispering or not, becoming lobster red within seconds. Behind the register, Lucas, the other employee of the little ice cream shop, messes up the music, too caught up in staring at his boyfriend to pay attention to what he is doing, accidentally playing WAP instead of one of their standard indie playlists. Jeno and Jaemin turn their heads just in time to see Jungwoo hit Lucas with his tray, but they go back to looking at each other as soon as Lucas manages to fix the music.</p><p>Jaemin knows now is the perfect time to pop the question. He knows there will never be an opportunity as good as this one to ask Jeno to be his boyfriend.</p><p>Yet, as he opens his mouth to ask him the question, nothing comes out of it. He gets interrupted by the shrill ring of a phone, a phone that belongs to none other but him. A bold, big <em>Appa </em>flashes across his screen, and he freezes, unsure of what to do. Jeno sees the panic in his eyes and he smiles reassuringly.</p><p>"Jen—"</p><p>"Answer it," he tells him.</p><p>"But Jen—"</p><p>"I know, Jaem. I know," he reassures him, gently nudging the phone. "I'm not going anywhere. Answer the phone. It must be something important."</p><p>And Jaemin has to agree with Jeno, for his appa never calls him unless it is about something important. He nods his head and hastily picks up his phone, accepting the call with one swift motion.</p><p>"Appa?" He says instead of a greeting, worry clear in his voice.</p><p>"<em>Hey, Jaem," </em>he says<em>.  "Are you home? Dad called and said the fridge just died</em>."</p><p>Jaemin wants to scream.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, wasn't this a mess. Unbeta'ed as per usual. My English has been quite bad lately too, so sorry about that. I took some time off social media, only to find out nct 2020 is happening, and well, as I told to one of yall on twitter, I will literally crawl out of the depths of self-despair with a neobong in my hand for hyuck, and that is exactly what happened. Tbh, if that girlie did not interact with me, I'd honestly forget about updating this 💀💀💀 I'm such a great writer! So consistent! </p><p>Also: there's like, at least 2000 of you reading this series, and none of you told me I fucked up Jaemin's and Jisung's ages? How on earth are they going to the same school if one of them is 13 and the other is 15??? Let's pretend the private school they go to has both a junior/middle school program and a high school one.<br/>Also Also: isn't it interesting how grown-up the kids seem in this part compared to how they're portrayed in the parent-focused fics? :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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